Which Humans Became Mega Rich Rebuilding Germany, Italy, ect after WW 2?

Attempted to find out this info , which today one would think may be freely available?
Inputted... several variables into Google search(safe search disabled) and yet nothing even dyslexically related returned.

Its as if this is a question from another planet.
All the bombed buildings , all the rubble, yet no public record of those who profiteered by the destruction?

I would think the manufacturers who made the bombs and bullets made quite a bit of money, even Krupp kept his business after the war, Allies could not find anyone rich enough to buy Krupps!
Those who made loans to the European governments to rebuild made a tidy sum too, The British took out a five billion dollar loan from America in 1947, at 2% interest, the Brits paid it off in 2007 I believe, some one made a fortune from that deal.

reply to post by Dr Expired


Probably not quite what you mean but i know that Theo and Karl Albrecht did rather well out of it. I have to say though that seems to be more entreprenurial (is that a word?) spirit than anything sinister. They formed Aldi and are seriously mega rich these days.

Basically, immediately after the war there was nothing available in Germany. Instead of trying to get choice for their customers, they concentrated on getting one type of everything they could get to sell, so that they actually had products to sell! The result being they always sold out, as it was all essential. Then built from there. Last i heard, they were worth over £20 billion each, although one of the brothers died last year.

I suspect you mean though in terms of rebuilding contracts, etc. In which case i have absolutely no idea, sorry. The Koch family probably did rather well out of it though........

I recall reading some where years ago, That churchill had shares in the krups industries prior to ww2. I dont know if its true how ever I wouldnt put it past him. Also there were several factorys that seemed to avoid the horrific bombing that Germany was subjected to during the war. They didnt miss the citys aka Hamburg which was fire bombed into ashes. Perople just melted in the streets. Nor was Dresden missed. The war was actually over when the bombed it.

reply to post by illuminnaughty


Ya , the German homes did cop it , almost beyond any human excuse.

More bombs, on homes, more credits to rebuild.

Most German refugees fled as their homes were burning .

Its all forgotten, how they made themselves a fortune, by the utter suffering of women and children . by the million.

Its all erased now, not on the electronic databases, ie...soon for forever be forgotten.

Ten million dead civilans. Dead and never acknowledged...Dead meat.

Originally posted by illuminnaughty
Nor was Dresden missed. The war was actually over when the bombed it.

Let us see,

In four raids between 13 February and 15 February 1945

Victory in Europe Day — known as V-E Day or VE Day — was the public holiday celebrated on 8 May 1945 (in Commonwealth countries, 7 May 1945) to mark the date when the World War II Allies formally accepted the unconditional surrender of the armed forces of Nazi Germany and the end of Adolf Hitler's Third Reich, thus ending the war in Europe.

So Dresden was bombed 4 months before the war in Europe ended.... so it was not over when it was bombed.

reply to post by Dr Expired



The Swiss made out like bandits
Neutrality had it's advantages and they played their part

reply to post by Dr Expired


You seem to have made a poor search.

Wikipedia -> Marshall Plan

ATS -> WW2 - Time for the real Facts and the real Answers... are you ready!

answers.com -> Who benefited from World War 2?

Just a few I managed to quickly find. But you fail to grasp a thing... wars are planed events, agreed that both side plan to win and have contingency plans, but the winner is always the victor.

The Anglo-American establishment (as you can read from the several sources above) was the best positioned to harvester both of the preparation as the spoils of war. From IBM to the operation paper clip, to the Nazi gold and war reparations the victors got their pound of flesh worth in loot, people (immigrants = cheap work and knowhow) and even territory.

NOTE:The UK had also to make a loss and lots of concessions. All neutral nations "benefited" (not really a benefit since they also incurred in losses due to the events) not only Switzerland also Portugal etc...
Another aside is that WW2 was not only against Germany, Japan, Italy, Hungary, Romania, Bulgaria and Yugoslavia were part of the Axis


Another interesting aspect is the forging of currency, looting of art and precious metals and other valuables and its effects...

This is also how the dollar became the reserve currency, and how the US from a great power became a true super-power. It even explains how the US basically oversees the UN "The earliest concrete plan for a new world organization was begun under the aegis of the U.S. State Department in 1939" (wikipedia, UN article).

reply to post by Panic2k11

Poor search or not , your enlightened search has named not one actual company or individual name.

Like I, perhaps you have hit a blank in this regard?

Lets not talk summising or guess, the internet will not tell us of the names.

reply to post by hellobruce


Sorry about that, yes you are correct. It was bombed 4 months before it ended. Dresden was a hospital city and was no threat to the allies. It was also full of historical buildings. The war was almost ended and the germans were on their knees. Never mind we won so it doesnt matter. Any way they were evil nazis so they no doubt deserved it. Nothing better than kicking your enemy in the goolies when hes on his knees.

reply to post by Dr Expired


Look to the most profitable corporations and how control was divided over them from Porsche, Bayer etc... Another interesting aspect is about intellectual property, patents etc...

I'm not the OP of the thread. I was happy to help you and my comment (not really a critic before now) was simple, you did not put much effort for the initiation of the thread...

Take it as a constructive critic (I never initiated a thread just because I do not have the time to do a proper research and presentation, and I value those that do, especially if they leave their own opinions for a separate post). I think that the subject matter is interesting hence my participation and initial remark.

reply to post by illuminnaughty


There was actually a purpose behind bombing Dresden you know. It wasn't just done for the sake of it! Bomber Command (under direction from the War Office) wanted to break the will of the German people to carry on resisting and fighting. Bombing of cities is never good, just ask the citizens of Hull, Coventry, Birmingham, Manchester, Leeds, York, London, etc. Then again, mass internment and gas chambers aren't good either, or executing civilians, etc. The point being that a lot of bad stuff was going on. No, it wasn't pleasant but yes, it did serve a purpose.

Sorry for going off topic OP.

Originally posted by illuminnaughty
Dresden was a hospital city and was no threat to the allies.

No it was not

Taylor writes that an official 1942 guide to the city described it as "one of the foremost industrial locations of the Reich" and in 1944, the German Army High Command's Weapons Office listed 127 medium-to-large factories and workshops that were supplying the army with materiel.[26] The contribution to the Nazi war effort may not have been as significant as the planners thought.[27]

The US Air Force Historical Division wrote a report in response to the international concern about the bombing, which was classified until December 1978.[28] This said that there were 110 factories and 50,000 workers in the city supporting the German war effort at the time of the raid.[29] According to the report, there were aircraft components factories; a poison gas factory (Chemische Fabrik Goye and Company); an anti-aircraft and field gun factory (Lehman); an optical goods factory (Zeiss Ikon AG); as well as factories producing electrical and X-ray apparatus (Koch & Sterzel AG); gears and differentials (Saxoniswerke); and electric gauges (Gebrüder Bassler). It also said there were barracks, hutted camps, and a munitions storage depot.[30]

en.wikipedia.org...

So it was a valid military target, despite what the nazi apologists say.

reply to post by Panic2k11


It may be a bit murkier than that. For example, Britain got "aid" money from the US for rebuilding after the War. However, we had some very stringent conditions attached. Looking at our country, it was decided that our food distribution network was very poor so we would be granted x amount of Dollars to rebuild only if we addressed this and gave Safeway a large proportion of the newly created food distribution network! So Safeways got rich on the back of rebuilding the UK.

I am sure very similar things happened in Germany.

reply to post by Flavian


There never will be a free lunch... Nations do not act altruistically...

Take an example on how the "aid" being given now to the European nations in crisis is no real aid, its the debtors making sure that they get their money back. International aid has always strings attached, a cost.

reply to post by Panic2k11


Appreciate your analysis of the OPs post ,but not all great answers ,require great research?from those who ask that ,which leads to an answer?

I would guess that approx 99.9% of the Earths population do not know the answer to the question the OP asked, think about that.

Do you seriously think German controlled companies were the manipulators?

No one knows..at least not those who allow the internet disemation of information?

No of course not, its just too trivial to list on the net.

There is no freedom, only shiny trinkets too occupy you the conquested.

reply to post by Dr Expired

Do you seriously think German controlled companies were the manipulators?

No, you misunderstood the indication I gave. I said to look into who got control of those profitable enterprises. Germany was always a industrial power and the primary producer of precision instrumentation and machinery, looking on who got control over those things will provide some clues.

EDIT: You did confuse me just now, you are the OP (original poster/post). Take a cue from the fact that the OP got not stars (I did flag the thread because the subject has merit for discussion).

That was an interesting read thanks for the link.
heres a bit from it that sounds about right IMO
The historian Alexander McKee has cast doubt on the meaningfulness of the list of targets mentioned in 1953 USAAF report and point out that the military barracks listed as a target were a long way out of town and not in fact targeted during the raid.[127] The 'hutted camps' mentioned in the report as military targets were also not military but were provided for refugees.[127] It is also pointed out that the important Autobahn bridge to the west of the city was not targeted or attacked and that no railway stations were on the British target maps, nor were the bridges, such as the railway bridge spanning the Elbe River.[128] Commenting on this Alexander McKee stated that: "The standard whitewash gambit, both British and American, is to mention that Dresden contained targets X, Y and Z, and to let the innocent reader assume that these targets were attacked, whereas in fact the bombing plan totally omitted them and thus, except for one or two mere accidents, they escaped"[129] McKee further asserts, "The bomber commanders were not really interested in any purely military or economic targets, which was just as well, for they knew very little about Dresden; the RAF even lacked proper maps of the city. What they were looking for was a big built up area which they could burn, and that Dresden possessed in full measure"[130]

According to historian Sonke Neitzel, "it is difficult to find any evidence in German documents that the destruction of Dresden had any consequences worth mentioning on the Eastern Front. The industrial plants of Dresden played no significant role in Germany industry at this stage in the war"[131] Wing Commander H. R. Allen said, "The final phase of Bomber Command's operations was far and away the worst. Traditional British chivalry and the use of minimum force in war was to become a mockery and the outrages perpetrated by the bombers will be remembered a thousand years hence"
And of course the winners write the history. His story. So they are not going to make them selves out to be as bad as those evil nazis.

reply to post by illuminnaughty


I agree with the view that it was pure vengeance and retaliation for London, even if the idea of demoralization may have been part of the planing the result of the bombing of London would provide a clue that the action served no such purpose. I think that some history books correctly label it as a war crime, an attack directed to kill civilians.

reply to post by illuminnaughty


You do not wage war to incur debt, only to reap free bountiful booty.

Destruction of that which you inherit but cannot sell equates to profit if you are paid to recreate your inheritance then given legal rights to sell that inherited property.

Its all so so.